Asylum seeker revamp splits ALP

The Federal Opposition Leader, Simon Crean, was confronted with a split in Labor's senior ranks last night as frontbenchers revolted over the party's revamped asylum seeker policy.

At least three shadow cabinet members - Lindsay Tanner, Bob McMullan and Carmen Lawrence - dissented over the immigration policy, due to be revealed today after it goes to caucus.

Frontbenchers were fractured over three issues in the new asylum seeker policy - the continuation of mandatory detention, the removal of the Christmas Island refugee facility from Australia's migration zone, and the refusal to abolish temporary protection visas.

During a heated shadow cabinet meeting last night, there was also anger over attempts by Mr Crean and his immigration spokeswoman, Julia Gillard, to ram the 75-page policy document through the parliamentary ranks.

Labor's employment services and training spokesman, Anthony Albanese, said: "A number of people were angry about the process and the failure of proper consultation, including members of the frontbench committee.");document.write("

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"Unless the caucus adopts a position that is acceptable to the party, people will take their position to the national ALP conference."

The policy also features a United States-style "green card" system for snaring foreigners working illegally. Employers would be forced to obtain a tax file number or green card before giving a worker a job, and failure to do so would result in hefty penalties.

But, unlike in the US, there would be no lottery system for handing out the cards, and it would not involve permanent residency.

Instead of ending mandatory detention, Labor will propose capping it at 90 days, and will extend "alternative detention" - now offered by the Howard Government only to women and children - to some fathers.

Labor will also look in the longer term at changing the use of temporary protection visas for refugees, which have been criticised by refugee advocates.

Labor's policy move comes as further details have emerged of the Government's softened stance on mandatory detention.

Under its new policy, details of which have been obtained by the Herald, housing projects such as the one in Woomera will be the "preferred model" for women and children asylum seekers.

The policy - agreed to by cabinet and expected to be referred to in Parliament by the Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, this week - stipulates that women and children likely to spend extended periods in detention, and single women and unaccompanied children, should have the option of living in the residential properties rather than detention centres.

Fathers would still be kept in detention but could visit their wives and children, and even stay overnight.

The policy also allows in some circumstances for women or children to stay in foster care, motels or in the care of community organisations.

In evidence to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission inquiry into children in detention yesterday, the Immigration Department revealed that two-thirds of people in detention centres had been rejected as refugees and were awaiting removal, creating a "volatile" situation.

The department's deputy secretary, Philippa Godwin, also said that security and criminal concerns had delayed the processing of four asylum seekers who had arrived by boat last year.

Concerns about terrorists infiltrating under the guise of refugees were highlighted by senior Coalition politicians during last year's federal election campaign.